Many robots are electro-mechanical machines, which are controlled by a computer. Mobile robots have the capability to move around in their environment and are not fixed to one physical location. An example of a mobile robot that is in common use today is an automated guided vehicle or automatic guided vehicle (AGV). An AGV is typically considered to be a mobile robot that follows markers or wires in the floor, or uses a vision system or lasers for navigation. Mobile robots can be found in industry, military and security environments. They also appear as consumer products, for entertainment or to perform specific tasks such as vacuum cleaning and home assistance.
In order to achieve full autonomy, a mobile robot typically needs to possess the ability to explore its environment without user-intervention, build a reliable map of the environment, and localize itself within the map. Significant research has been conducted in the area of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) to address this problem in mobile robotics. The development of better navigation algorithms and more accurate sensors have enabled significant progress towards building better robots.